Entrepreneurial Responses to Chronic Adversity : The Bright, the Dark, and the in Between

This open acess book extends recent work on entrepreneurship in response to adverse events to explore entrepreneurial responses by people who face chronic adversity more deeply. Instead of focusing on the sort of responses intended to destroy the institutions that create and sustain chronic adversity, the authors are interested in how individuals use entrepreneurial action to find a way within these adverse constraints to improve their lives. They explore the positive outcomes arising from these entrepreneurial actions for the entrepreneurial actor and their family members as well as the negative consequences of these entrepreneurial responses to chronic adversity―outcomes that diminish others’ well-being. The book relies on the lived experiences of those facing chronic adversity to provide insights into the bright―and dark―sides of entrepreneurship and the complexity of these relationships. It will serve as a valuable resource to scholars seeking to understandhow entrepreneurial action is conceived and implemented by those facing challenging resource-poor environments. Entrepreneurial Responses to Chronic Adversity Preface Contents List of Figures 1 Making Do with the Resources at Hand to Improve One’s Life and Others’ Lives Introduction Inclusive Growth Creative Problem Solving Under Resource Scarcity Our Context—Jugaad in Rural India Stimulating Creativity: Experiencing Adversity From a Knowing Perspective To Problematize the Situation Jugaad: Creative Problem Solving Dual Impact of Jugaad Discussion Implications Conclusion References 2 Entrepreneurs Alleviating Poverty Through Educating Their Children Introduction Poverty as Context Entrepreneurship and Poverty Alleviation A Slum Entrepreneurship Approach to Alleviating Poverty The Purpose of Slum Entrepreneurship: Sacrificing the Self for One’s Children Slum Conditions Creating Strong (Not Weak) Communities Slum Communities Facilitating Entrepreneurial Success Slums and Entrepreneurs’ Health Slum Entrepreneurs and Their Children’s Educational Attainment A Model of Slum Entrepreneurs’ Poverty Alleviation Implications Conclusion References 3 Refugee Entrepreneurs Building and Displaying Resilience Introduction Theoretical Background Findings The Refugee Context of Substantial and Persistent (Objective) Adversity Refugees Acting Entrepreneurially to Overcome Constraints Acting Entrepreneurially Facilitates Refugees’ Integration Efforts Refugee Entrepreneurs’ Resilience Outcomes Reciprocal Relationships Entrepreneurial Action and Resilience to Substantial and Persistent Adversity Discussion Conclusion References 4 Women Entrepreneurs Flourishing or Languishing at the Bottom of the Pyramid Introduction Theoretical Background Women’s Entrepreneurship at the Base of the Pyramid Entrepreneurship Training and the Development of Psychological Capital Psychological Capital and Well-Being Context Findings Shared Trajectories Before Venture Creation An Entrepreneurship Program and Flourishing An Entrepreneurship Program and Languishing Diverging Trajectories After Venture Creation: The Nature of Expectations Differences in Expectations: Work Experience and Family Support A Model of Women Entrepreneurs Flourishing or Languishing Discussion Conclusion References 5 Personal Adversity and Justifying Illegal and Costly Entrepreneurial Action Introduction Theoretical Background Destructive and Necessity Entrepreneurship Unethical Behavior and Moral Disengagement Context Findings Personal Adversity Outcomes of Entrepreneurial Action Justifying Entrepreneurial Action That Causes Harm to Others Discussion Implications for Practice Conclusion References 6 An Entrepreneurial Process for Exploiting Vulnerable People’s Labor Introduction Theoretical Background Entrepreneurial Process of Human Exploitation Social Cognitive Theory and Loss of Agency Entrapment Context The Entrepreneurial Process of Human Trafficking in the Sex Industry Findings Deceptive Recruiting of the Vulnerable Entrapping Through Isolation Eliminating Alternatives by Building Barriers Converting the Exploited to Exploiters Discussion Conclusion References 7 Corruption as Corporate Entrepreneurship Introduction Background Context Findings Ventures Promoting Corruption Within a Government Organization Anti-corruption Efforts as New Sources of Opportunities for Bribery A Micro-level Demand-Side Model of Bribery Bribery Within Government Organizations Agents Brokering Bribery Discussion Conclusion References Index This open acess book extends recent work on entrepreneurship in response to adverse events to explore entrepreneurial responses by people who face chronic adversity more deeply. Instead of focusing on the sort of responses intended to destroy the institutions that create and sustain chronic adversity, the authors are interested in how individuals use entrepreneurial action to find a way within these adverse constraints to improve their lives. They explore the positive outcomes arising from these entrepreneurial actions for the entrepreneurial actor and their family members as well as the negative consequences of these entrepreneurial responses to chronic adversity outcomes that diminish others well-being. The book relies on the lived experiences of those facing chronic adversity to provide insights into the bright and dark sides of entrepreneurship and the complexity of these relationships. It will serve as a valuable resource to scholars seeking to understand how entrepreneurial action is conceived and implemented by those facing challenging resource-poor environments